A sponsored live in the snow above a ski resort without a tent.
I attempted this last year but inadvertantly got engaged and thus distracted but now I'm back, still engaged, and eager to give it another go. Currently I'm testing some kit and working out the logisics. There are various things to consider; how not to freeze to death, how to spend time with my fiance, how not to get carried away by an avalanche / yeti and how to not let this interfere with my job.

Thursday, 20 October 2005

Learnings

In the past few days I have discovered

I can fit one sleeping bag inside the other thus solving the winter issue.

Having a goose down sleeping bag dry cleaned will undo all the damage that getting it repeatedly wet will do to it.

The Hennesey Hammock can be tied to a branch in such a way as to make it into a chair. This was not so much a discovery but more a 'doing what it says on the packet'.

The last few days have been really good fun, I had imagined that when it got to the point that it was raining a lot and dark all the time that things would get miserable. In fact I'm enjoying it more than ever now.

As for the challengesOn Saturday I will be making some cord out of nettles - this is a good thing to be doing at this time of year, nettles tend to be at their most vicious at the end of their lives. This challenge I rashly said I would do without gloves - if my hands still work I will let you know how it went on Monday.

At the behest of those helpful types at BCUK I will also be attempting to carve a spoon. I imagine this could prove tricky - I foresee swearing.

There has been a few murmerings about my making a shelter using nothing but that which occurs naturally in my location. An interesting idea. I had been planning to make something out of branches and the gore tex poncho, the idea being to use the poncho to collect rain water which would then be stored and then filtered before use.

The mountains of Japan and the changing of the Maples - sounds very nice.

I have eaten nettles but not for a very long time. I believe they best bit to eat is the fresh shoots so it's a bit too late for that. However, I have guests coming soon so maybe I will have to get a bit creative with the local fauna.

"a bloody idiot"Michael Parkinson"I did this for one night, and I'm shot to pieces."Ed Ceaser, The Independent"more Epicurean than eco-warrior"Jemima Lewis,The Guardian"a New Puritan poster boy"Lucy Siegle, The Observer

"If he sticks it out for a year, it will be difficult to return to the noise of the city."Professor John Collings - Before Ditch Monkey I"a bum"Bill Heine Radio Oxford